


it's called a concourse (not a mall-hallway)

by tamxiety



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/F, Nike clothes 5ever, The Mall, dudebro leering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-26
Updated: 2014-06-26
Packaged: 2018-02-06 06:32:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1847977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tamxiety/pseuds/tamxiety
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kira and Malia go shopping and end up leaving with something a little more interesting than a few shirts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	it's called a concourse (not a mall-hallway)

**Author's Note:**

> A little one-shot based up on a headcanon from tumblr

Malls could be both comforting and frightening places. It was incredibly easy to just get lost in the crowd and wander back and forth between stores tucked snugly into the moving throngs of people. Yet, it was also very easy to get stuck in between screaming parents and their children, or to be forced to navigate around a couple that just would not stop holding hands.

It was because of those unfortunate, if rare, situations that Kira opted to travel on the very edge of the crowd whenever she was trying to fight her way to a store.

But on this particular trip to the Nike store, Kira felt like she was gliding down the concourse, with no one lunging in front of her or making awkward eye contact with her. Perhaps, she owed this relatively easy walk to the lithe form of Malia Tate stalking next to her. Standing at least a head over Kira, Malia practically cut a swath through the mass of people with her purposeful stride. Every movement she made seemed to be chosen for maximum efficiency. People seemed to naturally not want to get in her way. They didn’t really do that with Kira, but then again she didn’t walk like she knew how to kill you with her bare hands.

But for all of Malia’s outer confidence, Kira could see the minute movements that told another story. The taller girl’s head didn’t move much, but her eyes flicked distrustfully and restlessly back and forth on each face that passed her by. Though her hands were loose at her side, at least seven tons of stress sat nestled between her tight shoulder blades.

A little piece of Kira shattered every time she saw Malia begin to unconsciously start performing checks on all the people around her and all surrounding exits. It was like watching...well, a wild animal. It hurt her heart to think of why those habits were so ingrained into the girl striding in front of her. A small flash of guilt burned in the back of Kira’s mind. If she hadn’t suggested they go shopping for some new clothes, Malia wouldn’t have been forced into a stressful situation, surrounded by people.

Kira had almost begun suggesting turning around and leaving when Malia abruptly turned and caught her eye. The bright orange sign of the Nike store loomed above them. Through the glass windows, Kira could see the racks of new shoes and tops and compression shorts.

“Holy crap, look at those spandex. Look at those sneakers!” Kira whispered reverently. Nike had her ever-present love and adoration until the end of time.

“Yeah,” Malia smiled down at her. “They’re colorful.”

“They’re beautiful.” Kira blindly reached down, grabbed Malia’s hand and dragged her into the store. As soon as they crossed the threshold of the store, the noise around them quieted. Out of the corner of her eye, Kira saw some of the tension visibly loosen from Malia’s shoulders. There weren’t many people in the store for her to worry about, just a dad and his daughter and a group of teenage boys huddled around some new shoe. Malia’s eyes were still roving around, but this time it seemed to be more because her grudging appreciation of the clothes than for survival reasons.

“Hello ladies, how can I help you today?” The cheery voice of one of the staff members broke Kira of her compression short filled daydream. The woman had dark skin and a very pleasing dark auburn hair colour. She was also outfitted in the latest Nike products and had a kind smile plastered on her face.

“I need something that will withstand a fight.” Came Malia’s deadpan greeting. She glanced at the staffer while running her fingers along the sleeve of a shirt. The woman looked stricken and her mouth hung open for a moment before she responded.

“A fight?”

“Yes, a fight. Like, with fist--”

“--What my friend is trying to say,” Kira interjected with a waved hand. “Is that we need something that can take a lot of punishment.”

“Punishment.” The woman repeated.

“We rock climb. Lots of scrapes.”

“Yeah, scrapes.”

“Oh, well, alright. Follow me.” Their slightly weirded-out guide led them to a section towards the back of the store. There wasn’t much on the racks, but it was worth a look, and everything back there seemed to be 50% off.

“If you need anything let me know.” The woman said before scooting off back to the front of the store. Kira felt laughter bubbling up but held it in for the sake of scoping out their options. There looked to be some decent stuff hidden underneath a mass of bulky winter coats. As she was sifting through the racks, Kira felt Malia’s eyes on her. She looked up to see uncertainty in light brown eyes flashing back at her.

“What?” She asked, hoping Malia didn’t sense a threat. Sometimes, it seemed like her own fox senses just completely tuned out to anything dangerous, or evil, or sharp coming towards her. Maybe it was because she was still learning the superpowered-ropes.

“Nothing. I was just wondering if I did the wrong thing again. With that woman.” Malia said, casting her baleful eyes back down at the clothes. She shuffled them around while Kira felt, for the second time that day, a crushing sense of pain for Malia Tate.

“No! No, you didn’t. I think she is just used to dealing with people who have no idea what they want to buy.” So maybe that was a little bit of a lie, because ‘withstanding a fight’ wasn’t something normally asked for from Nike clothing. But for some reason, Kira couldn’t bring herself to say anything about it, because that was just Malia’s personality. Straightforward, honest, kind-when-it-wasn’t-a-threat-to-her-survival, fun--those were just things that made Malia, Malia.

“Oh, okay.” A smile worked its way onto the face of the coyote in question. Kira felt herself blush at Malia’s open grin. Cheeks burning, she busied herself with looking for things in her size and Malia’s. Then she paused and gasped.

“Malia! Look at this shirt. This would look perfect on you!”

“Yeah right, let me see it.” Malia skirted the rack and came over to where Kira was proudly holding up a DriFit shirt that had long sleeves and a black stripe running down each side. Malia’s eyebrows shot up with approval when rubbed her fingers on the material of the sleeve.

“It’s cool, right?” Kira said excitedly.

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool.” Malia smiled again and this time Kira knew her cheeks were coloring. Stupid werecoyote and her stupid megawatt smiles.

“It’s in your size.” Kira said as she shoved the shirt into Malia’s hands. “You should get it.”

“Maybe I will.”  They went back to browsing the racks, or Malia went back to browsing the racks while Kira watched her intently study each piece of clothing she put her hand on. Each time Malia looked at a shirt she would test out the material with her fingers and palm. If it didn’t pass inspection, the lonely item would be placed back on the rack. It was fascinating to watch, so much so that Kira almost didn’t notice the other audience they had attracted.

The gaggle of guys that had been perusing the sneaker aisles had migrated over to the sock racks that stood a few yards away. While some of them had socks in their hands, Kira got the distinct impression that that wasn’t what they were over there for. With Malia partially obscured by all the winter coats and their racks, it was a fairly easy guess at where their attention was directed. Kira did her best to act like she didn’t know they were watching her as she weaved between racks. She could hear them talking, and whether they were being loud or her super-hearing was actually working, she didn’t know. A few of them sniggered and argued in hushed tones over who was going to go over and ‘hit that’. The blush from earlier came back with a vengeance. She didn’t feel threatened by them, seeing as the were just human, but it was still awkward to be stared at like a prize from a few feet away. She looked up to try and figure out where Malia had gone so they could make a quick escape and felt a jolt of worry when she couldn’t see any brown hair in sight.

Right before a moment of panic truly set in, Kira felt a soft, warm weight hit her back. The scent of Dove shampoo and pine drifting under her nose was the only thing that kept her from throwing her surprise attacker to the ground. Malia’s hand curled solidly around Kira’s hip and a soft breath rustled the tiny hairs at the nape of her neck. A shiver ran down Kira’s spine when she felt the hand on her hip pull her even closer to Malia’s tall frame. The slight brush of Malia’s cheek against her hair and ear alerted Kira to just how close to the other girl was. With the tiniest tilt of her head, she could see that Malia’s eyes were sharply focused on the group of boys by the sock display. Keeping steady eye contact with all of them, the taller girl craned her head down and pressed her mouth gently onto the juncture of Kira’s neck and shoulder. The collective mouths of the boys flew open with different shades of shock painted on their faces. Malia’s lips stayed attached to Kira’s skin as the staredown occurred across the floor of the store.

For a second everyone was frozen. But under the harsh glare of a werecoyote, the boys were quick to shuffle away and out of the store. One tried to leave so quickly he set of the theft alarm with the pair of socks still clutched in his hand.

It wasn’t until they had all turned their backs that Malia finally moved away. The smallest graze of teeth over Kira’s skin when she moved back too quickly was all that indicated she had been there in the first place. That, and the rush of cool air against Kira’s back, coupled with the sense of loss radiating from the spot Malia’s mouth had been. Kira slowly turned around and looked to where Malia was standing with one hand holding the bunched up gray shirt. Once, it might have been a silly notion to think that one’s body could be cold and warm at the same time. But now? Now Kira wholeheartedly believed it was possible, if the slight shivers still running up her back were any indication.

“Why...?” She asked, hoping it didn’t come out a a gurgle. Malia shifted her weight gingerly.

“I didn’t like the way they were looking at you. Like prey.” It came out so easily, so simply. Malia said that as if it were the obvious conclusion. As if her instincts hadn’t just left Kira with the sweatiest palms of her life.

“Oh.” They stood in silence for a moment. Malia fidgeted for a few seconds before striding back into Kira’s space.

“Was that the wrong thing again?” She asked with dark eyes full of genuine concern and upset. Was it the wrong thing? Kira wasn’t so sure herself. For a brief few seconds it had felt like when she was in the power plant with Barrow, except a thousand times less creepy and a thousand times more supercharged. Could that be wrong? No, probably not. While those thoughts ran rampant, Malia’s piercing eyes stared down at her as she struggled to form words.

“N-no, that wasn’t wrong.” Was Kira’s shaky response.

“Really?” Some light bled back into Malia’s eyes and Kira felt that shattering pain in her chest lessen a little. Just seeing that miniscule change made her more sure of her answer.

“Yeah. It’s okay.” That came out stronger. Kira felt a wide grin curl across her face. Malia returned it quietly and more of that pain lifted from Kira’s chest. They both took a half step back, enough so that Kira felt like she could breath again.

“I think I’m gonna get this shirt.” Malia said, waving the shirt slightly.

“Good. But hey,” Kira said holding a finger up. She flashed her kitsune eyes with a smirk. “Don’t think I can’t handle myself, coyote.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, fox.” They walked up to the cash register together, paid for the shirt, and left without a snag. The boys from before were nowhere to be seen and the main floor had mostly emptied out. As they continued their walk to other stores a live wire seemed to stretch between the two. And hey, if Kira noticed Malia hovering much, much closer than before, she wasn’t going to complain.


End file.
